City comparison
Reading, PA vs Scranton, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Reading, PA are 3.7% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $103,700 in Reading, PA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,237 a month in Reading, PA versus $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Reading, PA and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- Both are in PA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $3,070 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.2% moving from Reading, PA to Scranton, PA ($117,284 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.8% in real buying power.
- Reading, PA: price level 97.1 (cheaper)
- Scranton, PA: price level 93.6 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Reading, PA | Scranton, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.1 | 93.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,390 in Scranton | $103,745 in Reading |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,237/mo | $1,028/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,440 | $46,330 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Reading, PA MSA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA. Metro areas: Reading, PA and Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Reading | Scranton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 85.4 | 67.0 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 108.2 | 106.5 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 97.1 | 93.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Reading, PA → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
80 Strong offer
Scranton, PA → Reading, PA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
57 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Reading, PA is in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD pay area; Scranton, PA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Reading, PA to Scranton, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Reading, PA | Scranton, PA | Real change, Reading → Scranton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,013 | $61,722 | −5.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,289 | $74,678 | −5.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,630 | $89,508 | −5.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,284 | $106,437 | −5.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,595 | $125,776 | −5.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Reading, PA | Scranton, PA | Scranton pay in Reading dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $102,480 | $100,210 | $103,963 (+1.4%) |
| Software Developers | $120,920 | $119,960 | $124,453 (+2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,550 | $70,480 | $73,120 (−3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,470 | $82,650 | $85,746 (−12.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.